How come in some severe weather the sky has a green tint?
Changes in sky color have long been known to portend change in the local weather. There is good reason for this association since changes in sky color can be caused by the movement of heavy cloud decks, and heavy clouds often produce rain, snow and lightning. Such an instance was reported by residents of Kodiak who saw a peculiar green sky for about a half-hour during late evening in July 1978. Immediately following the appearance of the green sky, a rainstorm with much thunder and lightning struck the area. Sky coloration is caused by the scattering of sunlight as it passes through the atmosphere. As we view the sky it is the scattered light that we are seeing. If there are no clouds in the sky, the sun illuminates all of the air near an observer and thereby causes his eye to receive scattered light from all parts of the atmosphere. But the brightest light is that which has traveled the shortest distance through the atmosphere, the light that comes down to the observer from most nearl
